Eye of Silver: Heart of Gold
by PearlaH.Sweden-Arigatou
Summary: One is Silver and the Other's Gold! Two young apprentices are drawn to each other: despite the fact that they are from different Clans, have different pasts, and very diferent personalities! More summary inside.
1. The Beginning

Two apprentices from different Clans, with different pasts, and different personalities! After all: Silver is very different from Gold! Though they may not to admit it, Goldpaw and Silverpaw are drawn to each other with a sisterly bond: always there when the other needs help. Little do they know that there friendship will get them through life's hardships: through joy, hope, grief, and fear. But then again; every cat has something in common: all they have to do is look inside their hearts.

**YAY! Here it is: One of my stories-from-the-heart! I really hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed working on it! XP No ALLEGINCEs for once; kay? XP again.**

**R&R. Actually, just do the first 'R', which I highly assume is, 'read'. If you like, review. XP**

**pEaRLa**

* * *

**Eye of Silver: Heart of Gold**

"Rosepetal!" a young voice cried. "Rosepetal! Can we go on dawn patrol?"

It was mid-morning; the sky was cloudless and sapphire blue and there was the smell of New-leaf in the air. The elders were drowsily lying in patches of sunlight that somehow managed to find there way through the thick clumps of trees overhead, and most warriors were either off hunting or sharing tongues.

It was a fine day: Crystalheart had just had a litter of kits that very morning, and Snowpaw's warrior ceremony was to be held that afternoon.

The patrol was late. All seemed to have gone peacefully, so Flamestar did not seem worried. Surprisingly, they were getting no attacks, not even from the prickly ShadowClan.

Rosepetal, a pretty young she-cat, looked up. Her bright leaf-green eyes lit up when she recognized the voice of her new apprentice, Silverpaw. "What?" she purred as her apprentice scampered over, gray pelt bristling with excitement.

"Can we go on dawn patrol?" repeated Silverpaw, tail waving happily. "Blacksky and Lionpaw are going! And Joyheart is, too! I want to go!"

Rosepetal twitched her whiskers, trying not to laugh at the new apprentice's over-enthusiasm. She was pretty sure that soon Silverpaw would be sick of going on dawn patrol!

It was so good to finally get a taste of mentoring; she had never thought that she would mentor Clan leader's kit! Silverpaw had been the only kit to survive in Flamestar's second litter: Greencough had claimed the lives of her two brothers. Her third brother, Wheatkit, had mysteriously vanished one night, and was found dead.

"Dawn patrol?" she echoed, faking puzzlement. "No, I don't think so. I think you should go check the elder's pelts for ticks. You know that is what all apprentices do."

Watching her apprentice's face fall in horror, Rosepetal had to stifle a _mrrw _of laughter.

"Yes, Silverpaw, of course we'll go! It will be your first duty as an apprentice. Just wait a moment while I check with Flamestar: she may not like you patrolling on your second day."

Silverpaw watched her mentor pad off, and sank her claws into the soft earth. Her mother was so…overprotective! Just because her brothers were dead; it didn't mean that she was going to end up like them!

Guilt swept over her as she remembered her littermates…and her closest brother, Wheatkit. Her heart fell as she remembered her brother's bravery and kindness. She would never see his face again, never speak to him, or hear his soft mew…

There were no signs of a struggle where he had disappeared. He was found dead with a bite on his neck: no scratched fur, no awful wounds, no churned earth to mark his final battle. He was finished off swiftly; and that was one of the only things that gave Silverpaw comfort about his passing.

The same thing had happened to Rabbitpaw; an apprentice. He had also been Silverpaw's friend: he used to visit her, and had been her den-mate as a kit. Three days before his warrior ceremony, he had vanished as well. He was never found, but this was after Wheatkit's death, so no cat thought he could have lived. He was proclaimed dead by Flamestar herself. But that had been several moons ago, and most cats had forgotten about those specific incidents.

Silverpaw's thoughts were interrupted as her mentor bounded up to her, Joyheart and Blacksky behind her, along with Blacksky's apprentice: Lionpaw.

"Come on, Silverpaw," nodded her mentor. "Flamestar said it was fine as long as you stuck with me. We'd better get going before she claws our tails off!"

&&&

"What do you smell, Silverpaw?"

This question caught Silverpaw by surprise: she had not expected a quiz. She thought patrolling was basically just checking for some signs of an intrusion.

They were padding near the ShadowClan border; but Joyheart had suggested that they hunt as well. No cat had objected; so they were all on the lookout for prey.

Silverpaw closed her eyes, thinking long and hard as she lifted her nose into the air, breathing deeply the scent around her.

"ShadowClan," she said at last, wrinkling her nose. "Well, we are right next to their border, and it does smell yucky," she felt her ear-tips grow hot as Rosepetal laughed.

"And…erm…mouse!" she finished at last as she caught the scent of prey. Rosepetal looked even more amused. "Silverpaw, that's vole."

"Oh." The gray she-cat's face showed her disappointment, but she was not willing to give up. "Let's catch it, shall we? Flowertail said she fancied a vole, and seeing as she's an elder; I'd better get it for her!"

Before Rosepetal could reply, she had dropped into a clumsy hunter's crouch and sprang after a small, brown-furred creature, dashing behind a juniper bush. She didn't hear Rosepetal's yowl of warning, or the scent change in the air. She was just focused on trying to catch that vole!

Unknowingly, she had crossed the ShadowClan border.


	2. The Golden Lining

**Hey ya'll! Sorry I took so long updating: Summer Problems. (nods) Anyways, thank you ever so much to all who reviewed! I fully appreciate it! XP**

**Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!**

**pEaRLa**

**PS: Obviously, there is alot of talking in this chappie. (grins. waves. hugs. smiles. waves again. rock-on. peace-out) Y**

* * *

Silverpaw gave a sigh. She was so very lost.

She had followed the vole a little too far, and ended up completely confused in a pine-forest with a marshy ground. The trees made the shadows seem to move, and Silverpaw was getting nervous.

_"Darn that vole,"_ she cursed in her head. _"It made me as lost as a fox-cub in the Clan nursery!"_

And to top it all off, she hadn't caught it!

_"Rosepetal is going to claw my ears off,"_ she thought glumly as she sniffed at the ground. She was starving. At least it wasn't dark, or she would be scared out of her fur!

"What's that smell again?" she wondered as she sniffed the air. She had identified it with Rosepetal just a few minutes ago…it was ShadowClan. It really smelled like a badger that had been dead for a moon.

"Yuck," she spat, shaking her head. "Am I glad I'm not a ShadowClan cat!"

This, she realized as she leaped over a bramble bush, is bad. If she had crossed the border, the ShadowClan cats might, might… Silverpaw paused. What would they do?

"Oh, no!" she gasped to herself. "They might force me to roll around in fox-dung and eat stale mice so I'd smell like them! What a punishment!"

Silverpaw flattened her ears. She wasn't so hungry that she would eat a stale mouse. But ShadowClan would make her!

Gathering her courage, she padded forward to the edges of the trees, trying to pick up Rosepetal's scent. It was so faint: cluttered up with the smell of prey, plants, and ShadowClan. Silverpaw sighed, and put her nose in the air again. But she froze as a cold voice behind her spoke up.

"What are _you _doing here?"

&&&

Silverpaw flattened her ears and she whipped around. The birds had stopped chirping, as if the presence of this new creature had scared the lives out of them.

A small cream-colored she cat glared at her, yellow eyes menacing. Her claws were unsheathed, and her tail lashed back and forth.

"Speak up!" she spat again, neck fur bristling. "Get off ShadowClan territory, _now_! What are you, ThunderClan? Are you so stupid that you dare to challenge us?"

"I'm-I'm sorry," Silverpaw stammered, taking a step back. "I'm quite lost, and-"

"We don't want ThunderClan filth on our territory!" the she-cat spat again. "Get off, or I promise you I'll go get Dawnstar to finish you off!"

Silverpaw's mew was caught in her throat as she heard the insults being given to her HomeClan. She forced herself to stand strong, and lifted her head proudly, hoping her voice did not waver. "My Clan is not filth!" she said clearly, as if every cat of StarClan were in front of her. "Flamestar is a wise and just leader, and-and she's way better than YOURS! Plus, ShadowClan-ShadowClan stinks!"

There was a long moment of silence, broken by the rustling of leaves in the wind. The creamy cat blinked. "What?" she asked faintly.

"You stink!" repeated Silverpaw, hissing. Suddenly, the creamy-colored cat's fur went down, and her eyes grew alight. She started to laugh, and squeezed her eyes shut, rolling around on the marshy ground.

Silverpaw looked bewildered. "What's so funny?"

"Of-of all the insults in the forests!" gasped the ShadowClan she-cat. "You stink! Is that the best you can do? I call my brother much worse things than _that_!"

Silverpaw considered being hurt, but she managed to give a little purr as well. It WAS kind of funny…and she should be grateful that the she-cat hadn't ripped her to shreds!

The creamy-colored she-cat looked curious now. "What are you doing here?" she asked as she caught her breath.

"I was hunting," said Silverpaw honestly. "And I strayed too far off. I can't find my way back. I didn't mean to intrude or-"

"Are you an apprentice?" the she-cat interrupted.

"Yes."

"What sort of apprentice doesn't know ThunderClan scent from ShadowClan scent? Oh, and our scent doesn't smell. Yours does to us, so ours does to you."

_"RiverClan has a nicer scent, and so does WindClan,"_ thought Silverpaw, but kept quiet.

"I was worried a patrol would catch me and force me to ear a stale mouse-and it's only my second day as an apprentice," she added, suddenly becoming defensive. "I wouldn't know one scent from another."

The cat looked amused. "Uh-huh. What do I smell like?"

"ShadowClan."

"What do you smell like?"

"ThunderClan, of course!" Silverpaw sighed. Did she look that_ daft_?

"See. You can distinguish scents. And by the way, I hate to tell you but if a patrol caught you they'd do much worse than make you gobble up a bad piece of prey. They'd kill you."

Silverpaw gulped, fear rushing into her heart. "Please don't let them see me," she squeaked, suddenly terrified. "I wasn't doing any harm!" _Gosh, I didn't think they'd KILL me…._

"Just show me the way out and I'll be on my way."

"Hey!" the she-cat suddenly looked sympathetic. "Don't worry; I swear I won't breathe a word. I'm Goldkit, by the way; and if anyone gets in trouble, it'll be me! Wandering away so far in the morning drives me mother insane!"

"You're a KIT?" asked Silverpaw in astonishment. "But you look so fierce you could take on a leader with nine lives!" She hadn't expected this. At Goldkit's age, Silverpaw had been afraid to take one step out of the nursery. And here Goldkit was, fearless and courageous, taking on a cat twice her size.

"I give that impression to intruders," Goldkit suddenly looked mean. "So don't think I can't hurt you. I went easy on you this one time-never again!"

"O-okay," Silverpaw blinked, making a mental note of that. "Sorry."

Her belly let out an embarrassing rumble, and she glared at it. _"Stop!"_ she commanded, but she had no control over her hunger.

Goldkit looked amused. "Hungry?"

"You wish," whispered Silverpaw, but she gave a small nod. "Yea, I guess."

"I'll hunt for you! I'm an expert-Dawnstar reckons that I should become an apprentice early. Hey, what's your name, by the way? I make a point not to do anything for any cat unless I know they're names."

"Silverpaw."

"Heh, that's funny. Goldkit and Silverpaw. Our names match!"

"I guess so."

But as the two she-cats trotted away, Silverpaw thought long and hard. _"That's funny, really! How our names match."_ She purred. _"Like we were meant to meet each other!"_


	3. Start of Two

**Sorry for the wait! XP**

**Also, sorry this chappie is long. Chapter Three's are hard for me to write. XP again.**

**Enjoy,**

**pEaRla**

**PS: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR REVIEWING! (bows) REALLY! THANKS! **

* * *

&&&

"So, um, when will you be an apprentice?" Silverpaw asked as she bit into her prey, warmth filling her belly.

The two she-cats were seated near a patch of juniper bushes, sharing a magpie that Goldkit had caught herself. The dry earth crumbled beneath their weight, and somewhere nearby a blackbird let out a low call. The sapphie sky was beginning to turn a dark shade of indigo.

Silverpaw would never admit it out loud-but Goldkit's hunting skills were much sharper than her own. She had stalked the magpie with careful movements-slow and cautious- and leaped when least expected. She had caught a mouse, too, but had devoured that instantly on her own.

"_Selfish,"_ thought Silverpaw, but she held a respect for Goldkit that she had felt before for her mentor, her mother, and all the other warriors and elders.

Darkness was already beginning to ebb across the sapphire sky, and an owl hooted in a nearby tree. He clouds were beginning to slink away, to be replaced by the faint images of twinkling stars.

Goldkit flicked her tail across her ear. "My apprentice ceremony? About two moons or so. My brother Spruceleaf thinks Dawnstar should just give me my warrior name and be done with it!" The yellow-eyed kit purred, one of the only signs of friendliness she could show. "I suppose he may be right."

"Well, I think you deserve to be made leader someday," Silverpaw mewed swallowing her last mouthful. "Honestly, you need to teach me all your moves."

"Well, you would have learned from the best," Goldkit mewled, short whiskers twitching in amusement.

The gray apprentice swiped her tail over her muzzle and gave a satisfied sigh. "Well. That quenched my hunger."

"You couldn't have done it without me," reminded Goldkit, showing no signs of modesty whatsoever.

"I guess not. Thanks."

Silverpaw arched her back in a graceful stretch, and her companion did the same, her tiny paws scoring up the earth beneath her. She was pretty, Silverpaw thought, as well as skilled and powerful. One day, the toms would be fighting themselves to win her! She mentioned this to her friend, only to find her give a snort.

"Toms are just a waste of time," she muttered. "They cheat on their mates all the time. That's what my father did."

"Really?" this took Silverpaw by surprise as the two settled back down.

"Yea. He found another mate-Brighteye-and left me and my mother. I hate them both for abandoning us like that!" she sighed and curled her tail over her nose.

"My father's…well, mother never really mentions him. I think he died."

"Just as well if he cheated on her," hissed Goldkit, yellow eyes glaring.

"He wasn't like that."

"Then how come your mother never talks about him?"

Silverpaw opened her mouth, and then closed it again. The creamy-colored apprentice had a point.

&&&

"How come a patrol hasn't come looking for you?" Silverpaw's mew echoed throughout the darkness. "You would think they might be worried."

The two she-cats were padding through the pine forest, scouting for more prey, as well as going back to ThunderClan camp. Silverpaw wondered whether she should be embarrassed or grateful that a kit was showing her the way.

Goldkit gave her left shoulder a swift lick, pride in her eyes. "Well, I've wandered off at least a hundred times up till now. Dawnstar knows I always come back. But it drives my mother insane. I'm her last kit, you see," she heaved a heavy and slightly overdramatic sigh, (in Silver paw's opinion) "so she gets overprotective. I'll bet you my tail she thinks hungry foxes are devouring me as we speak."

Silverpaw nodded. "My mother's Clan leader. I'm her only kit so far…all my brothers died. But I don't get special treatment or anything: it may make the other apprentices jealous."

Goldkit seemed unfazed at the fact she was the daughter of Clan leader. "Cool. If Dawnstar were my mother, I'll bet I could travel all the way to the HighRocks and she wouldn't be worried. But I haven't got any littermates. You say all your brothers died? How's that?"

"Um…well, Greencough killed Duskkit and Brownkit-but my favorite littermate, Wheatkit…was found dead. He was killed."

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence. Silverpaw began to nervously lick her tail. But when she looked at Goldkit she only found sympathy in her eyes. "Dying in battle is honorable," she murmured. "He must have been hailed as a hero."

"Not really. It didn't look like he gave much of a fight. He was just found-cut in the throat. Even peaceful. I saw him when I sat vigil."

"Must have really been hard."

"Yea. I almost-" Silverpaw suddenly stopped short as she stared at the blackening sky. "Great StarClan!" she abruptly shrieked. "I'm so terribly late! Rosepetal will be worried out of her pelt! We have to hurry!"

&&&

Silverpaw's paws ached terribly by the time she was nearing camp. Goldkit padded ahead confidently, head held high, tail waving airily. "Almost there."

"That much I know."

Silverpaw began to feel uneasy. "What will you do when you get back to camp?" she mewed worriedly, cuffing her new friend's ear lightly with her paw, claws carefully sheathed.

"My Clanmates are used to me wandering around. I'll make up an excuse."

Silver paw felt a bit jealous of the kit's selfless acts, her daring deeds of bravery and courage, and the risks she faced when going into danger. She wasn't like that.

"Goldkit, how come you aren't afraid of other cat's judgment?" Silverpaw inquired, pressing for an answer. She met only silence, and tried again to ask the question. "Goldkit?"

No answer. She realized that her friend had stopped. When she turned to look at Goldkit, the kit's claws were unsheathed, and her eyes glinting with anger. "Don't move," she whispered, barely moving her mouth.

"But-"

"Shhh! Something died here."

'W-what?" Silverpaw then smelt it-the terrible scent of death and loss. Her eyes widened in horror. "I know that smell."

She bunched up her muscles and sprang into the bush of reeds from where the smell came. She ignored Goldkit's cry of warning. She was focused on getting to her goal.

She kept right on going, even though the trail was leading her farther away from camp. She was familiar with the fear she felt. But she had never felt fear like this. _"A cat died here…"_

The apprentice halted to a stop when she saw what she was looking for. She felt her limbs go weak with shock.

"Oh no," she whimpered. "No, no, _NO_!" She began to yowl in pain and fear and most of all-grief. She felt Goldkit beside her and whipped around to meet her friend's narrowed gaze. "Why, Goldkit?" she cried. 'Why'd did it have to be her?!"

The cat lying in front of them, still and lifeless, was Rosepetal.


	4. Standing Strong

**Hey, everybody! Sorry for the wait. This chppie does not include our haughty little Goldkit: sorry about that! XP **

**I seperated this chappie into 2 parts because I felt that it was too long to be just one. Yea, thatz about it.**

**To all who reviewed: OMIGOSH I donot know how to thank you! Ten reviews, three chapters! Wow, you guys! I owe it all to you! XP**

**Enjoy! XP**

**pEaRLa**

* * *

Silverpaw watched with huge, scared eyes as Rosepetal's body was carried through the horde of cats. She buried her nose into her mother's fur as Flamestar pressed her nose into Rosepetal's cold pelt.

It was simple: Rosepetal had gone looking for her alone when nightfall came, worrying about her apprentice's safety. She had been attacked, and by the looks of it she had been killed by the same cat that had murdered Wheatkit and taken Rabbitpaw away. Alarm had spread throughout ThunderClan: and Flamestar had sent a group of cats to go warn their neighboring Clan, WindClan.

_"If only you hadn't gone alone,"_ thought Silverpaw desperately as she stared at her still mentor. _"It's my fault you're dead."_

She hoped Goldkit was okay. The last thing she wanted was for her new friend to be cruelly slaughtered.

Silverpaw had ordered Goldkit to get back to her camp before she got hurt, and the creamy-colored kit had obeyed without objection; even though Silverpaw already knew that any cat who dared challenge Goldkit would find their ears clawed off.

But she wondered if her friend had gotten to camp at all.

_"She's just got to be okay."_

Flamestar had left her daughter and climbed onto of the rock-pile. Grief showed clearly in her eyes, but her voice was calm and steady as she struggled to find the right words. Her red-orange pelt shown clearly, making her look like a tiger in the moonlight.

"Cats of ThunderClan. It has been moons since the last attacks on our cats. At that time, young lives were taken," she paused for a moment, and Silverpaw knew her mother was lost in memories of her dead kit.

"But this time," she flicked her tail sadly to Rosepetal. "We have lost one of our most cherished warriors. Rosepetal will never be forgotten: she was a noble cat with the strength of StarClan, and I am sure she is now happy in their ranks. Joyheart, Mapletail, Silversky-you may proceed."

The three warriors lifted Rosepetal's body and gently laid her down. They began to dig a hole where she would be put to rest. Silverpaw couldn't bear it anymore.

With a sob, she wrenched herself away from the gazes of her Clanmates and dashed to the apprentice den, where she flopped down, exhausted. Her heart was weighed down with a sorrow she had never known. Her mentor was dead.

_"It's not fair. Everyone I care about is being taken, one by one. It's as if the enemy knows who I don't want dead, and are determined to make them pay…"_ Silverpaw let out a thin wail. It was her second day as an apprentice. And her mentor-the warrior she loved and trusted-was now gone.

&&&

She stayed in her nest for what seemed about a moon until another cat came in.

"Silverpaw," said a quiet voice, and the gray apprentice lifted her head to see Nightpaw: the apprentice that had befriended her when she was still a kit. She stood at the tunnel entrance and calmly padded in, blue eyes sympathetic.

"What?" Silverpaw mumbled, unable to raise her head much longer. She let it flop back down again.

The black she-cat sighed and gave her denmate's ear a swift lick. "I'm sorry about Rosepetal. I know how much she meant to you."

"'Sorry' won't being her back."

"Hey, I taught you that line," laughed Nightpaw, touching Silverpaw's shoulder with her tail-tip. "Don't use it against me!"

Despite everything, Silverpaw let out a rusty purr.

"She's happy again!" gasped Nightpaw, faking shock. "Reality has reversed itself!"

"Oh, Nightpaw," mewed Silverpaw, shaking her head heavily, all her joy vanishing. "It's my fault Rosepetal's dead."

"No, it's not!" Nightpaw suddenly looked fierce. "Don't blame yourself, Silverpaw, or you'll end up like my father. No cat would blame you for getting lost on your first day!"

Nightpaw's father, Blackwing, had been driven mad with guilt at the death of his mate: Nightpaw's mother. He had killed himself when Nightpaw was merely a young kit; she had never known him.

"Rosepetal went looking for you: it's not your fault some mad piece of fox-dung killed her, either. Where _were_ you, by the way?" Nightpaw's question broke through the gray apprentice's thoughts.

Silverpaw's aching heart suddenly flooded with fear. She couldn't let any cat know about her friendship with Goldkit…her Clanmates would keep her away from ShadowClan, and they would never see each other again.

Silverpaw shook her head again and turned her back on Nightpaw, not speaking for a minute that lasted a moon. The haughty black apprentice fell silent as well, though Silverpaw heard her sigh.

"You missed Snowpaw's warrior ceremony today," Nightpaw said finally, happiness for her old friend in her voice. "He's Snowstorm now."

"Nightpaw, with so many deaths, how do I even guarantee I'll become a warrior? I may never make it."

"Don't say that!" Nightpaw unsheathed her long, curved claws and sank them into the earth. "I swear, Silverpaw, I will not let any cat hurt you. I always look out for my friends."

_"Goldkit would, too,"_ thought Silverpaw, suddenly comforted. She had her Clanmates looking over her-and even a kit from another Clan.

She gave Nightpaw's ear a swift lick. "Thanks, Nightpaw."

"Hey, guess what? Crystalheart picked names for her two kits!"

"Really? What are they?"

"Shadowkit and Cloverkit. They're adorable!"

"I'd like to see them."

"Tomorrow, eh? Me and you will!"

The conversation turned to normal again as the mews of the two excited apprentices wove into the night.

However, none saw a brown-colored cat slink into the darkness, taking in every word the she-cats were saying. He now knew who the next target was.


	5. Descisions to be Made

**Hey. I inserted a 'ALLEGIANCES' thing so u guys wouldn't get confused. XP**

**Since this chappie's long enough I will say no more. (zips mouth) **

**ENJOY!!!**

**pEaRLa**

* * *

**ThunderClan**

**LEADER **Flamestar- Orange she-cat with blue eyes

**DEPUTY **Finchfeather- Gray she-cat with yellow eyes

Apprentice, Nightpaw

**MEDICINE CAT** Gingerlight- Orange she-cat, one green eye, one blue

**WARRIORS** (toms and she-cats without kits)

**Joyheart**- Pretty tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

**Blacksky**- Black tom, blue eyes

Apprentice, Lionpaw

**Mapletail**- Brown she-cat with amber eyes

**Snowstorm**- White tom with orange paws, amber eyes

Lithetail-Black and white tom with green eyes

**Apprentice, Silverpaw**

**Lichenspots**- Pretty tabby with amber eyes

**Apprentice, Wolfpaw**

**Linxheart**- Brown tom, green eyes

**Skylight**- Blue-gray she-cat, blue eyes

**Patterpelt**- White she-cat with ginger and black splotches, blue eyes

**Faitheye**- Black she-cat with very short tail, amber eyes

**Icefrost**- Silver tom, yellow eyes

**Duskfall**- Brown tom, green eyes

**Tumblefoot**- Gray and white she-cat, green eyes

**Stormcloud**- Gray tom, amber eyes

**APPRENTICES** (more than six moons old, in training to become warriors)

**Lionpaw**- Orange tom with amber eyes

**Nightpaw**- Black she-cat with blue eyes

**Silverpaw**- Silver-gray she-cat with green eyes

**Wolfpaw**- Gray tom, green eyes

**QUEENS** (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

**Crystalheart**- White she-cat, green eyes

(Kit(s)-Cloverkit, Shadowkit)

**Runningdream**- Orange and white she-cat, amber eyes

(Kit(s)-Leopardkit)

**ELDERS** (former warriors and queens, now retired)

**Oakwhisker**- Old gray tom, amber eyes

**Tawnytail**- Tortoiseshell she-cat, yellow eyes

* * *

Silverpaw quietly hopped along the stepping-stones, grief keeping her quiet. She was remembering her beloved mentor, her brother, her good friend Rabbitpaw…her father. Why hadn't she known him from the start? She had heard stories about him, but now she wondered if he really did abandon her mother, like Goldkit had said.

The question was: What had she done to lose so much? Did she deserve what was happening to her? It was as if every cat she had ever cared about was being taken away from her, one by one.

She closed her eyes as she paused on a smooth step, lost in memories of her precious Clanmates…

Duskkit. Her fearless brother, willing to take on a badger at his age. He had not expected to die from sickness, but in battle. He had even hoped to be leader.

Brownkit. The last-born, looking up to Duskkit with all his heart, vowing to be his noble deputy. He was a strong-willed kit with the spirit of a true warrior.

Wheatkit. Her favorite littermate, with a heart of gold. A slightly reckless young kit with a passion for adventure.

Rabbitpaw. A brave tom that could stand up to all of StarClan for those he cared about.

Rosepetal. A loyal ThunderClan cat, a mentor, a friend. Lost to a selfish murderer.

Why had they all died? What had they done? Silverpaw knew one thing, though. She would get back at the cat that had done this to them. And it wasn't going to be pretty.

&&&

Silverpaw sighed, and opened one eye again, finishing her last few steps. She was back to reality, and headed towards none other than the ShadowClan border.

_"Goldkit, please be okay,"_ she silently prayed, staring at the cloudy heavens above her.

Silverpaw did not care at all about her personal safety. In fact, she had escaped form camp quickly: Flamestar had ordered her not to go anywhere, and had doubled patrols.

_"If the enemy shows up,"_ thought Silverpaw darkly. _"I'll kill it for what it did yesterday to Rosepetal. Killing a lone warrior in the dark. He's going to wither away in the Forest of Darkness!"_

She lifted her nose and breathed in deeply. She had not yet gotten a taste of hunting. She hadn't learned to fight yet. She didn't even recognize most forest smells. She was a lost cause.

_"I hope Flamestar gets me a good mentor,"_ she moaned to herself. _"I need one to survive out here…Great StarClan, I don't even know how to kill a rabbit!"_

She sighed and tried to track down the border by the familiar surroundings.

_"I remember. This is where Goldkit caught that mouse…"_

"Going somewhere?" A mew jolted Silverpaw out of her memory and made her yowl in shock. Instinct alone told her she was in danger, and she unsheathed her claws. "Come on out! I know you're there!" she spat, knowing it was the enemy. "I'll fight you to the death, I swear by StarClan! I'll-"

"Hey, hey! Slow down!" A creamy-colored she-cat stepped out, whiskers quivering in amusement. "Acting tough, are we now?"

"Goldkit!" Silverpaw breathed a sigh of relief as her friend stepped out of the bushes, fur scraggly and unkempt. "Thank StarClan! I thought you were-"

"-the killer?" finished Goldkit, looking solemn. "I suspected it. Why'd you come our here, anyway? I thought you'd be scared out of your fur!"

"To see you again. We're friends aren't we?"

"We never weren't! I got in trouble, but that's not keeping me from seeing you, either!"

"What? You came out here just to see me? Goldkit, this is pretty far away from ThunderClan camp."

"Oh-just exploring first," said Goldkit coolly, though she suddenly looked nervous. "Then I told myself I'd see you."

"Out with it," mewed Silverpaw, tail-tip twitching in laughter. "I know why you're here, and it's not to see me."

"Okay, okay! I got mad," muttered the kit. "It made me feel so helpless, seeing your mentor dead like that…and I remembered you told me about your brother and your friend dying, too. But I told myself I'd see you after that, I promise! I went out…to…hunt the killer down. I wanted to avenge you."

"Goldkit," Silverpaw was incredibly touched, but at the same time amazed at her friend's recklessness. "I appreciate this, but-but Goldkit, think logically. You could kill a leader with nine lives easily, I'm sure-"

"Ten lives. I'd go for eleven as well."

"Whatever. The thing is, Goldkit, these cats are _vicious_! They're not like other cats, willing to be merciful. And even though you're strong, you're-you're just a _kit_, Goldkit. Bring a few other cats, and I'd say 'Sure, why not?' But you need help with this!"

"And what do you propose we do?" hissed Goldkit scornfully.

Silverpaw dropped her gaze. She felt guilty, disobeying her mother and the Clan's safety, but she felt anger, too, burning inside her heart.

She wanted revenge as badly as Goldkit-maybe even more. It frightened her, knowing how angry she was. But she had to do thus.

"I think we wait until you're an apprentice," she whispered. "And while we wait we gather up some other cats to help us. We'll plan it. Rosepetal's attack wasn't the first one: and I doubt it's the last. We'll get ready first. Then we go all together-and make them pay."

"I like the way you think," Goldkit purred, the light of battle already showing in her fierce yellow eyes. "My brother will be sure to help."

"Are you positive he won't tell any cat?"

"Not a soul. What about you?"

"Well…" a vision of Nightpaw came into her head, but she shook it away. Her friend would worry too much...but she was a fighter, and would kill the murderer of all these cats.

"I may have a few," she mewed uncertainly. "Leopardkit, for example. His apprentice ceremony is coming up, and he's a brave kit…and Wolfpaw. They're two very formidable toms."

"Great!" Goldkit gave a little bounce. "Then it's settled. So what you think we should do now?"

"Tonight," hissed Silverpaw under her breath. "Meet me where the ShadowClan and RiverClan borders intersect. I'll be there."

Though Silverpaw didn't want to admit it; fear clung to her like a tick on an elder's pelt. She knew what she had to do. But she wondered how far she would go to get it done.


	6. Surprises

**Hey, guys. Sorry about the longie. Had other stories on my mind! XP Hope you'll forgive me!**

Um-in case any of you are wondering- this is chappie 6. Chappie 5: I think some of u missed. You see, so many stories were being updated that mine just got clear erased off the first page to the second! Read chappie 5 (if u didn't) to not get confused.

Anyways...enjoy! XP

I will soon introduce new charcters. BTW: if you have any other names than 'Brownclaw', tell me! XP

pEaRLa

* * *

"Where are we going?" asked Silverpaw for the hundredth time. She was getting tired: and burs were getting stuck in her fur.

"If you would just shut up, I would have time to tell you!" snapped Goldkit, glaring at her through narrowed yellow eyes.

Silverpaw sighed. She could have been heading back for camp about now, informing Wolfpaw and Leopardkit about their plan…but no! Goldkit refused to meet where she had suggested. Now the two young she-cats were heading towards a meeting area that the creamy-colored ShadowClan kit had in mind.

_"I don't know what I was thinking, getting involved in a plan like this,"_ Silverpaw thought, unsheathing her claws.

"Are we there yet?" she whined, getting nervous. The lush tress and berry bushes were beginning to become lessen as they moved away.

"Do you see a clearing anywhere?"  
The gray apprentice looked around. "No."

"Then we aren't there yet! Listen, this place is big enough for all of us-you, your Clanmates-me, my Clanmates…and more! It's outside the Clan boundaries, though. It's in the Cornfields!"

"Cornfields?" Silverpaw had to admit: it was a pretty good idea. The Cornfields had room for lots of cats: and the corn and mouse scents cluttered altogether would mask the scents of every cat there. No one would be suspicious of a thing!

Though only one thing was holding her back.

Nightpaw.

She knew her sharp-eyed Clanmate would suspect where she was always wandering off to. Plus: Silverpaw wasn't sure if she could tell her. Nightpaw worried too much, and would blab it all out before Silverpaw said 'Mousetail'!

"Um-Goldkit," she mumbled hesitantly. "Suppose some cats get suspicious?"

"Kill them so they keep quiet," Goldkit's tail-tip twitched in annoyance. "I don't know, mouse-brain! Lead them off-track. Say you're meeting with a tom in another Clan or something!"

"That'll just make it even-" Silverpaw began to protest, before her cream-colored companion swept her tail over her mouth.

"You talk too much."

Silverpaw had to stifle a purr herself. Goldkit was a great she-cat-despite the fact she was a little harsh. She was fierce and brave and loyal…and then a lump formed in her throat.

_What would happen in Goldkit died?_

"We're here!" Goldkit's voice interrupted her thoughts, and Silverpaw looked up. There was a clearing in the center of the cornfields: probably where the Twolegs had cleared it. It was obviously just full of mice: Silverpaw could already hear them scurrying this way and that!

Goldkit pounced immediately on a moving leaf and dragged out a gray mouse: and the two friends shared it together.

Silverpaw knew.

Any cat who dared to harm Goldkit would have to get through her first. And if she fell: then they would always have to get through the ShadowClan kit herself!

&&&

"That was good," purred Silverpaw, stretching out with a luxurious stretch. "And I have to hand it to you, Goldkit: this place is _perfect!_" She indicated towards the area around her.

"I know," Goldkit drew her paw over one ear, trying to hide her embarrassment at the praise. "Now we have a place to meet so that we can plan out how to stop those _kittypets_! Just wait until I'm Goldpaw-then we'll go and hunt 'em down!"

"I want to kill them all," Silverpaw couldn't stop the words from blurting out of her mouth. "They killed my brother! Rosepetal! Rabbitpaw! I want revenge: and that's that!"

"All of them-found dead, just like that?"

"All except Rabbitpaw. He was dragged away, everyone thinks. My mother announced he was dead."

"R-Rabbitpaw?" Suddenly, Goldkit looked spooked beyond imagining. Her fur began to bristle, and her eyes widened in what seemed like sick shock. "Did you say Rabbitpaw?"

"Y-yes!" stammered Silverpaw, quite taken aback. "Rabbitpaw. He was going to be a warrior three days after he was dragged away-but naturally, he's dead now, so-"

"Is he a brown tom with blue-gray eyes?"

"Yes!" The silver apprentice gaped at her friend. "How did you kn-"

"He wasn't found killed," muttered Goldkit through gritted teeth. "How do you know he's dead?"

Without giving her time to answer, the terrified kit swept on. "He's not dead, Silverpaw!"  
"What?"  
"Rabbitpaw! He mentioned something like that to me! Said his old name used to be Rabbitpaw…no, no…his name's Brownclaw now!"

"Huh?!"

Goldkit lowered her huge eyes to the ground, looking horror-struck for once. "A rogue wandered into our camp one day," she mumbled. "He said he had no where to go…cats tried to drive him off, but he fought them like a warrior…" She let out a seething hiss. "No wonder."

She whipped around and stared at Silverpaw through desperate golden eyes. "My mother told me that story. Its how she met the cat she loved."

"Silverpaw! Rabbitpaw-Brownclaw! He's not dead! He's my father!"


	7. Talking with Toms

**Hey, guys! **

**First of all: allow me to plead.**

**PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE FORGIVE ME!! XP (waves) **

**I'm really sorry: i had a trip to Iowa, (yes, I am in Iowa now) and I've had writer's block like crazy! Plus I have 3 other stories to manage...I might continue my old story, 'The Era of Shattered Dreams'. It was before whitewing was a warrior, so in that story she's Whitefur...but I'll change that! XP**

**Enjoy,**

**pearla**

**PS: A warm thank-you to all my reviewers! XP (waves again)**

* * *

"Wolfpaw!" Silverpaw's yowl echoed across the clearing. "_Wolfpaw_!!"

Early morning dew stubbornly clung onto the soft, wispy grass, and pink dawn clouds were mixing with the light blue sky. It was a perfect morning: though shadowed by the fear of Rosepetal's death.

The silver apprentice was already having her doubts about telling her Clanmate the plan to go after the murderers. She didn't even know how he would react, for StarClan's sake!

_Will Wolfpaw think I'm crazy?_

Another thought struck her as an image of her mother came into her head.

_Will he tell Flamestar?_

If he did, she decided, she would have to find a way to deny it.

"Hey," said a small voice, and Silverpaw turned to see Leopardkit next to her, his green eyes wide. "Don't worry: I know Wolfpaw. He won't tell a single cat."

Silverpaw had already confirmed to her youngest den mate about the 'gatherings' in which they would meet with ShadowClan cats. He was as excited as ever: and since Silverpaw had suckled side-by-side with him in the nursery, she knew that she could trust him not to blab.

But would the same go to her friend?

She gathered her courage and shrieked again, _"Wolfpaw!!"_

The green-eyed tom stared up, surprised. He looked around, as if he expected to see a badger lumber into came, and then caught sight of her. She beckoned him over with her tail.

"What, Silverpaw?" he asked impatiently as he padded over, tail held high. "You scared me out of my fur! Lichenspots is taking me on a hunting patrol about now, okay? I don't have time to-"

"Do you want to avenge Rosepetal?" Silverpaw cut in sharply. Wolfpaw looked taken aback for a moment, frowning.

"What?"

"I asked if you wanted to avenge my mentor, my brother, and every other cat that fell to the claws of our enemies!" She thought of Brownclaw as she said this. How could he have been the Rabbitpaw she had known? The friendly apprentice that she had known would put his Clan before his life. So why had he run away to ShadowClan?

"O-of course!"  
"Then you're coming with me tonight to the Cornfields."

"To the Cornfields? Why?"  
"Listen," Silverpaw gently cuffed him across the ear with one paw. "You're one of the first cats I'm telling, Wolfpaw. Remember the day I accidentally stranded too far off?"

"Yea?"

"Well, I accidentally went across the ShadowClan border. I met a ShadowClan kit-she was near the border. Her name's Goldkit, and she's really fierce-but I like her. She has no mentor yet but she could drive off a badger. Honestly. Anyways," she swept on. "Wolfpaw, she became my friend. I know it's not allowed to have friends in other Clans-only at Gatherings. But she was with me when I found Rosepetal dead and-and she and I want to hunt down the killers with her friends. I've told Leopardkit, too: he wants to come."

"Silverpaw!" snapped Wolfpaw, more shocked at the proposal than the fact that Silverpaw was meeting with a ShadowClan cat. "You're barely 5 days old as an apprentice! And Leopardkit- he's just a kit! You need help!"

"That's why I'm asking you!" Silverpaw mewed desperately. "I can't tell Nightpaw: she worries too much. I was hoping to wait until Goldkit and Leopardkit become apprentices-and then we would track them down together!"

For a moment the whole forest seemed to hold its breath. And then…

"Are you sure it's not a trap of ShadowClan's?" Wolfpaw growled. Rarely had Silverpaw seen him so excited: his face flushed and his eyes alight with adventure and battle.

"I'm positive," said Silverpaw firmly. "Goldkit would never do something like that. Plus she has a give-away-face. I would know if she was telling the truth."

"Wolfpaw!" another voice rang out. "Are you coming on the hunting patrol or should I just send you to check the elder's pelts?"

"Coming!" Wolfpaw called, but he turned to face Silverpaw.

"Then by all means: I'll help you. If," he continued as Silverpaw's face lit up with happiness, "you promise to tell Nightpaw."

"What?!" Silverpaw reeled back as if struck by an unsheathed paw. "Why?"

"Because she's my best friend: and she's your best friend…and she's one of the Clans best warrior apprentices. How do you think she would feel if you didn't tell her and she found out?"

"But out first meeting is tonight!" wailed Silverpaw.

"Then tell her before that!" The tom had already bounded away to join his mentor as he called back over his shoulder.

_Tomcats! _

Silverpaw sighed.

She would tell Nightpaw. But not today. Tonight was the first meeting…and she wouldn't have Nightpaw ruin it.

_"Sorry, Nightpaw,"_ she thought desperately. _"But I'm not kit anymore for you to worry about me. I have to take my chances this time. For Rosepetal: and for my Clan." _


End file.
